LDT “📺 The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to End in May 2026: Network Cites Financial Pressures Amid Controversy”

CBS announced today that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will air its final episode in May 2026, bringing to a close the 33-year “Late Show” franchise. The network described the move as a strategic response to the “challenging backdrop in late night,” emphasizing that the decision is entirely financial and not tied to the show’s content or performance.

Host Stephen Colbert, who took the helm in September 2015, delivered the news to his live studio audience, telling those present: “It’s not just the end of our show, but it’s the end of ‘The Late Show’ on CBS. I’m not being replaced. This is all just going away.”

🎤 What’s behind the decision

Despite consistently leading in late-night ratings for nine straight seasons, the show faces mounting challenges:

• Declining ad revenue and shifting viewer habits toward streaming and short-form content.
• The cancellation announcement arrived just days after Colbert publicly criticized a $16 million legal settlement between CBS’s parent company Paramount Global and Donald Trump, prompting some lawmakers to question whether the decision was politically motivated.

🧑‍🎤 Colbert’s response and legacy

On-air, Colbert thanked his more than 200-person production team and the show’s long-time viewers, saying:

“I’ve had the pleasure and the responsibility of sharing what we do every day with you in front of this camera for the last 10 years.”

Ratings data show that The Late Show remains a ratings leader: one recent week saw 2.4 million average viewers across its new episodes. Still, industry analysts say the broader ecosystem of broadcast late night is in decline.

🔮 What comes next

With the franchise ending, the late-night landscape at CBS and across broadcast television is poised for major change. Key questions now include:

• Will CBS abandon the 11:35 p.m. timeslot entirely, reduce its late-night offering, or shift focus toward streaming?
• How will this decision impact other hosts and programs amid cost-cutting across the industry?
• What happens to the “Late Show” brand after its run, and will another network pick up a successor?

For viewers, the last episodes beginning this fall will mark the end of an era in late-night television — one that blended comedy, politics, and pop-culture commentary under Stephen Colbert’s distinct voice.